Love Hina: Coming of Age
by Bug-chan
Summary: As Shinobu's sexuality buds, who does she turn to? Lime elements later on -- IT'S DONE! -- RR
1. The teaching

Love Hina: Coming of Age by Bug-chan  
  
A/N - This is what will turn out as my first lime fic, so if sexuality in general bothers you, STOP READING NOW. Oh, if you are going to read, remember that lime is NOT lemon.  
  
Timeline-wise, this story takes place after Keitaro comes back from his half-year trip to America, so calculate everyone's ages accordingly.  
  
--------------------  
  
15-year-old Maehara Shinobu walked up the stairs leading up to Hinata Inn slowly, her head slightly down and swirling in thought. Behind her walked Suu and Sara, both curious as to why Shinobu was so silent. They repeatedly tapped on her shoulder, trying to get her attention. Minutes later, Suu had enough and slapped her rear end, jolting Shinobu.  
  
"Wah! What'd you do that for?" the blue-haired girl asked, annoyance evident in her voice, while rubbing the sore part to get rid of the pain. The other two simply grinned and giggled before Suu stopped.  
  
"Why were you so quiet? You weren't responding to our calls or taps," Suu simply asked, looking at Shinobu intently. Sara followed suit. Shinobu shrunk back a bit.  
  
"Just...things," she stammered, not wanting to tell what she was thinking. She backed up the stairs as the other two slowly walked up towards her.  
  
"What things?" Sara asked innocently, her curiosity piqued.  
  
"Yeah, what things?" Suu asked. She paused, and hazarded a guess. "Guys?"  
  
"N...no!" Shinobu denied, on the verge of crying. "It's not like that!" As the other two prepared to pressure her into spilling, they heard a voice.  
  
"Oh, you guys are back from classes!" Keitaro said from the top of the stairs, looking down and carrying a bundle of wood. "Good timing, we're going to have a barbecue today and we could use an extra hand or two."  
  
'Good timing! Thank you Sempai!' Shinobu mentally screamed and ran up the rest of the stairs to the Inn, leaving the other two confused out of their minds. Seconds later, Suu's head registered the word "barbecue" and with a watering mouth, bolted up the stairs right behind Shinobu, totally forgetting what happened seconds earlier. Sara, not wanting to be left alone, ran after her.  
  
The barbecue passed normally, normally meaning involving Keitaro groping at least one of the girls and suffering the consequences and Suu devouring without rest what edible material she could get on her hands. A few hours later, the group called it quits and started cleaning up, each person doing something. As Shinobu took the pack of raw meat and vegetables by herself back to the kitchen, she thought about today's lessons at school.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"All right class, today, we are going to learn something different," the teacher said and took out two wall scrolls and set them up. When the class saw what was on the scrolls, the reactions were quite varied. Some giggled or snickered while others stayed silent and just looked down and blushed in embarrasement, Shinobu being a member of the latter. Pointing at the wall scrolls, which showed the anatomy of the male and the female sexual organs, the teacher announced, "Today, we will be learning about sexuality." Even though she was blushing furiously and couldn't bring her head up to see the pictures or whatever else the teacher showed, she listened intently and jotted massive amounts of notes.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
'So...when a man's organ and a woman's organ unite, that's how a child is produced,' she pondered. Her next memory made her blush even harder.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Shinobu sat in her desk, still with a blush. The lecture had just ended and the teacher left, giving the students a short break to prepare for the next subject. While she switched books around, she overheard a bunch of girls behind her talking in hushed tones and giggling every now and then. Curious, she clandestinely listened as she took out different books.  
  
"I hear that the first time is extremely painful and you bleed...down there," one girl said quietly.  
  
"But I also hear that it feels good," another said. They all burst into a fit of giggles before calming down.  
  
"That's why you should do it with someone you like the most, because after that, there is no more 'first time'," a third girl added.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
'You should do it with someone you like the most,' she thought. 'Someone I like the most,' she pondered, and a picture of Keitaro popped in her head. 'Sempai??' she mentally yelled, her face now a stop sign. She dropped the food in shock, temporarily frozen and unable to move or think coherently. Naru noticed the younger girl struck by fear and the food on the floor and approached her.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, are you all right?" she asked with concern. The said girl regained her senses and looked at Naru.  
  
"Yes, I'm all right now. Thank you," Shinobu quickly replied and paused. Then, as in an afterthought, she hurriedly added, "And I won't take Sempai away from you!" and picked up the food. She scurried away to the kitchen, leaving Naru in shock and confusion.  
  
'What got into her?' she wondered and headed her way afterwards, 'and what about her not stealing Keitaro from me???'  
  
A while later, all the ladies took a dip in the hot springs, relaxing in the warm water. Everyone around traded words in dialogue...everyone except Shinobu, who quietly sat still and didn't say anything. Kitsune noticed her unusual silence and decided to poke some fun in hopes of seeing a reaction. "Ne, Shinobu?" she asked. The said girl looked up, nervously chewing her food. "What's with you? Guy problems?" she continued, knowing that the young resident had some form of a crush for the sole male of the house. Her reaction was, however, totally unexpected.  
  
Just as Naru was about to show her displeasure at her friend's teasing and Kanako could give her a death glare, Shinobu's eyes widened as she fell back. Panic-stricken, she tried to keep her head above the shallow hot springs as the rest tried to calm her down. Motoko got to her first and pushed some pressure points, calming the blue-haired girl down significantly.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, are you all right?" she asked, worry evident in her voice. Instead of answering or nodding, she simply and blankly stared at her. Noticing the lack of response, she placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook it. Shinobu's eyes regained focus.  
  
"I...I'm all right, thank you," she whispered hurriedly and ran up the stairs. Everyone looked at her retreating form in confusion.  
  
"Anyone know what got into her?" Kitsune finally asked.  
  
Sara spoke up, "She's been acting funny since we walked back from school." Everyone gave her their attention. "Suu and I tried to get her attention but she wouldn't respond. It took a hard hit by Suu to wake her up." The group digested the fact as they proceeded to sit in silence, contemplating what might make her act weird.  
  
"Why don't we give her a few days to think it out? It might be personal," Naru suggested. Everyone else nodded, agreeing that it was the best course for the time being.  
  
The next day, a Sunday, Keitaro came downstairs, looking for breakfast. He came in and noticed Shinobu giving the finishing touches to the table. "Shinobu-chan?" he asked.  
  
The resident chef looked up and her eyes opened in fear. "G--good morning, Sempai," she let out and bolted up the stairs. Keitaro tried to stop her but she ran too quickly and he simply looked up towards the stairs.  
  
Breakfast passed in silence again, due to the lack of Shinobu at the dining table. Everyone was still trying to figure out her erratic behavior, but the girls, at least the older ones, had a different thought in mind. When breakfast was done and Keitaro volunteered to do dishes, took them and went into the kitchen, Kitsune spoke up. "Motoko, Naru and Kanako, can you come to my room with me?" Her face lacked the usual slight smile she always carried and the other three noticed her seriousness and complied. Suu and Sara ran off to the former's room, preparing for yet another crazy invention.  
  
Once Naru and Motoko came in, she closed the door and they sat around her low table. "Let me get to the point. Tomorrow, I'm going on a trip to South America, Motoko's going to kendo camp, Naru's going to Kyoto with her club, Kanako is going to visit Granny Hina, Suu is going on a field trip with her class and Sara's being picked up by Seta, and as far as I know, Shinobu's staying and so is Keitaro," she explained.  
  
"So you're worried about leaving those two together?" Naru asked. Her evenness of her tone surprised the older woman.  
  
"Doesn't leaving a fifteen-year-old girl under the care of a man who's not related bother you?" Kitsune asked. "I'm not saying that Keitaro's a bad guy, but if anyone found out, there would be all sorts of weird rumors."  
  
"I trust Urashima to take care of Shinobu," Motoko voiced her opinion. "The six months he spent overseas has made him into a more reliable and trustworthy man."  
  
"Oneesan would never do anything of that nature," Kanako added. "Do not worry, Kitsune-san, he will do well."  
  
Kitsune just shook her head and smiled. "I guess I'm just worrying too much. Oh well, I guess we'll have to get ready eh?" The girls nodded and got up, getting ready to pack up.  
  
Meanwhile, Shinobu sat in front of her desk, her notebook showing the notes she took from the sex ed. class a couple days back. Next to that sat a laptop Suu had made for her, connected to the Internet via hacked satellite connection and showing more information based on the same topic.  
  
'The man places his organ between--' she started reading then stopped, too embarrassed to continue. She fidgeted in her seat and simply groaned in frustration. 'Why is it that when I'm near Sempai I feel different? Is it...' she trailed and filled in with embarrasement, 'hormones?' She violently shook her head, trying to get rid of the idea. Then another dialogue she overheard came back.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"Hey, Taki-chan, you have a boyfriend right?"  
  
"Yeah, why do you ask?"  
  
"What did it feel like when you first met him?"  
  
"Hmm...I don't really know how to explain. I felt...different, like it seemed stuffy in the room and stuff like that. I blushed easily too."  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
'Is this love?' she then asked, and immediately denied it again. Before she could think any more, she heard some noise coming from the door, the noise specifically being someone knocking on the door. She got up and upon opening the door, saw Naru. "Ah, Naru-sempai?" she asked, curious as to what the older woman would want from her.  
  
"Hey, Shinobu, Kitsune, Motoko, Kanako and I are all leaving Hinata for a few days so could you prepare some food for us, please?" she requested.  
  
"Hai," Shinobu agreed and took out her apron. 'I hope cooking will take my mind off these...issues,' she mentally wished as she walked down towards the kitchen. Taking out some meat and vegetables, she started chopping them and mixing some of them for different lunch boxes. She took some oil and a frying pan out and started to heat some oil, on top of which the meat and vegetables went. As she idly stirred it, she heard a loud masculine shout. Dropping the heat on the stove, the resident chef walked out to see Kitsune, obviously drunk, crawling up on a panicking Keitaro.  
  
"Now, you be a good boy when we're gone ya?" the drunken woman slurred, her face very close to Keitaro's, close enough that he could smell her sake-laden breath. Panic-stricken, he bobbed his head, hoping she'd get off of him, but unfortunately, more was in store. Kitsune drew her face even closer until their noses were making contact. "You take care of Shinobu ya? No funny business ya?" she slurred, softer than before. Keitaro vigorously nodded yet again.  
  
As Shinobu saw the older woman crawl up on the poor man, surprisingly, she didn't panic and whine. Instead, an image from her earlier web surfing came to mind.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
In her room, Shinobu grabbed hold of the mouse attached to her custom- made laptop as she clicked every six or so seconds, going to a different page. About a minute later, the clicking stopped as the young girl became interested in one page's material, titled "A Girl's First Time -- How to Make the Most out of It". As she read the material, she ran into a picture of a woman and a man just hugging while sitting in the sofa (A/N - Volume 9, chapter 76) albeit in a slightly compromising manner. This brought back the one moment when she walked in on what she thought was a makeout session of Keitaro and Naru. Reading and scrolling down, she soon saw a woman pinning a man down and becoming awfully comfortable on him. At this point, her imagination gained a mind of its own and took off to fantasyland. There, she saw herself pinning a calm Keitaro down on a giant heart-shaped red bed. Her head came closer and closer to his as she came in for a kiss when...  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
The image of her on top of him came back in full force as she observed the situation in front of her, oblivious to either participant. In fact, it came down with such force that she saw HERSELF on top of him instead of Kitsune, seducing the man and closing the distance between her and his lips. Just as the lips were millimeters away from each other, reality struck once again when her sensitive nose picked up a burning scent from the kitchen. Her chef side took over and she ran into the kitchen, saving most of the food from burning and charring. She hurriedly turned the stove off and took out four boxes. She evenly distributed the food and the rice and sealed them. Just then, Motoko walked in.  
  
"Oh, Motoko, the food's done," she told the older girl.  
  
"Oh? Okay, I'll tell everyone else. Please keep them warm until tomorrow," Motoko said. Shinobu nodded and she turned back to the kitchen to prepare for dinner without a word, obviously deep in thought again. Motoko, being the most observant member of the residents, noticed the subtle changes in the young resident but left it alone and walked back outside to see a still panicking Keitaro with an inebriated Kitsune on top of him. With a sigh, she approached the scene and lifted the lady, and placed her on a different chair, where Kitsune promptly fell asleep. Keitaro finally got up on his two feet and wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, now I am. Thanks, Motoko," he let out, calming down. She nodded and walked back upstairs. Keitaro turned around and saw Shinobu working in the kitchen, but noticed something odd. 'Her movements...so robotic,' he observed, as he watched Shinobu navigate her way between passages, doors and plates of food. Usually, whenever he saw her work in the kitchen, she did it like second nature: she flowed with the kitchen like how water flows down a stream. Today, however, her movements seemed forced, as if she didn't want to do something. Concerned, he approached her.  
  
"Shinobu-chan?" he asked worriedly. The said girl dropped whatever she was carrying in her hands the moment she registered exactly WHO called her name out, and once again her chef side took over when she heard numerous *CRACK*s on the floor. Her eyes widened as she saw broken eggs on the floor along with various vegetables. "Oh no!" both gasped. They bent down at the same time, intent on picking up and by coincidence or by purpose, two hands made contact as they headed for one particular egg shell, one over the other. The two, now blushing, slowly lifted their faces, making eye contact, and much to her surprise, Shinobu slowly closed in the distance between her and him.  
  
'Sempai's lips...are getting closer...' she thought as the distance closed in. 'Closer....closer....closer...closer...' She could feel his breath on her face as he stood, transfixed, with his eyes fixed onto hers as if they were connected. Seconds later, she felt her lips pressed against something else and her eyes regained its focus. 'I'm....kissing...' she idly thought. Her eyes then looked at where her mouth was and her brain went into overdrive. 'I'M KISSING SEMPAI!!!!' she panicked as she immediately pulled back. Her sudden fallback caused her to land painfully on her posterior as she gently rubbed her lips, her face as red as a stop sign. Keitaro, on the other hand, simply looked down and covered his lips, finally realizing what had transpired between those two.  
  
"Shinobu-chan," a subdued Keitaro called. Shinobu, however, had different ideas.  
  
"Sempai! I'm sorry!" she yelled and got up quickly, intending to bolt. Before Keitaro could do anything, the young girl was out of the kitchen and running up the stairs for her room. Confused, Keitaro simply cleaned up the mess and finished cooking dinner. Suddenly, he didn't feel so hungry and after setting up enough dishes for all the ladies, he headed upstairs, changed into his white gi, left a note telling of his whereabouts on the dinner table and headed for the waterfall near the Inn, hoping that some meditation would clear up his mind.  
  
After a slight amount of worry from the ladies when they noticed the lack of their manager and the subsequent note of his whereabouts, they all sat down and started eating. Suu, the one with the most sensitive, yet the dullest taste buds, noticed something different. "Shinobu?" she called curiously. The said girl looked at Suu. "You didn't cook, did you?"  
  
Shinobu took a bite and played around with it for a second before swallowing it. "No, it was Sempai," she confirmed. Almost immediately, a tingling feeling took over her as she simply said 'Sempai' earlier and she could feel a blush running through her entire body. Naru, sitting across from her, noticed the unusual redness.  
  
"Shinobu, are you all right? You're blushing all over," Naru pointed out with concern.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just don't feel very well right now," she whispered.  
  
"It's all right. Head to your room, one of us will bring you your food," the older girl instructed. The blue-haired resident complied as she slowly walked up the stairs, her hand clutching the banister tighter than usual. After she had gone out of sight and earshot, Kitsune spoke up.  
  
"Well, it looks like she's just sick." Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
"It isn't necessarily a good thing, but it definitely is compared to whatever else is out there," Naru agreed as she put the extra set of food on a tray and took it upstairs. A minute later, she approached the door to Shinobu's room and lightly frapped on it.  
  
"Come in!" she yelled from inside. Naru walked in with the tray and noticed her sitting hunched over a book.  
  
"Shinobu, you shouldn't work yourself out like that when you're not feeling well," the older girl chided.  
  
"N-no, this is important," Shinobu replied as she flipped some pages in her notebook.  
  
"All right, if you say so. But remember, you should get some rest," Naru said as she walked out the room. The younger girl sighed in relief as she turned off the screen saver on her laptop and continued reading a particular page.  
  
'People feel attraction because of a chemical called pheromones. When one person releases them, the other person picks them up and releases his/her set of them. All this happen without anyone knowing because pheromones are colorless and odorless. In fact, the pheromones have such power that sometimes they can cause a person to not observe what is going on while he/she is attracted/attracting his/her partner.'  
  
Shinobu paused to digest the short information. 'Is that why we were so transfixed?' she pondered as she remembered what had happened.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
As her lips homed in on Keitaro's lips, he stood there, transfixed and, in a sense, hypnotized. On her side, she couldn't help but feel like she was attracted by the other pair of lips...almost like two magnets with opposite poles facing each other.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
The young girl, for once having figured out something, albeit with a bout of embarrasement, finally relaxed in bed as she let the blush recede. As she relaxed, various phrases from all sources of reading material surfaced, but one of them made itself prominent: 'The first time will hurt. Do it with someone you love and trust.'  
  
'Someone you love and trust...' she trailed as she drifted away to sleep.  
  
The next day started with a flurry of activity as the majority of the population dragged bags down the stairs, with Keitaro's help, towards the exit. In the midst of the chaotic moving, Shinobu left for school quietly, those thoughts never escaping her. As the rest walked down the stairs, Naru yelled, "Take good care of Shinobu while we're gone!"  
  
Following her, Motoko added, "And don't make her cry!" Minutes later, they had all disappeared, leaving Keitaro alone in the house, with Tama as company. Keitaro proceeded to work on multitudes of repairs, now that the girls were out of the house and he wouldn't be interrupted.  
  
The day passed as normal and Shinobu returned from school. Upon opening the door and entering, she only noticed one pair of shoes in the doorway and moments later, saw Keitaro walk downstairs. "Tadaima!" she yelled, as per custom.  
  
Keitaro looked towards the voice and noticed the young girl. "Okaeri," he replied, welcoming her. She took off her shoes, and instead of bolting or avoiding him, she walked upstairs like her usual self. 'She seems more herself today,' he mused. Minutes later, she came back downstairs, and gave Keitaro the shock of his life. Instead of the usual plain one-piece dress, she came out wearing a white spaghetti strap that left the midriff bare, paired up with a red miniskirt that really left little to the imagination. 'Whoa...what got into her?' The girl, noticing his looks, came up close to him.  
  
"Sempai, how do I look?" she asked cheerfully and did a twirl. It took all his willpower and some to not fall over and start a fountain of blood as he saw more of Shinobu than he would ever expect to see, not that he wanted to see more in the first place.  
  
"Y---y---you look good," he let out, applying extra pressure on the fingers gripping his nose. "Excusemeihavetogotothebathroom," he blurted out as he made a mad dash for the nearest restroom. Shinobu saw him run off, first confused, then giggled as she made her way toward the kitchen.  
  
Once he secured the door, he ran to the sink, turned on the tap and let go of his nose. Just as he let go, a massive stream of blood poured out, going down the drain. Keitaro sighed in relief as the pent-up blood kept coming and coming (A/N - We're in an anime world; you can lose gallons of blood and still live). 'That Shinobu...when did she grow up so much?' he wondered, then slapped himself. 'No! Don't think like that!' he reprimanded himself. After half a minute of letting it loose, the bloodstream slowly trickled down and it stopped flowing. He started to wash around his nostrils to get rid of any trace of blood, cleaned the sink, wiped himself dry and walked out the bathroom. As he walked out and headed upstairs, intent on going to his room, he looked into the kitchen. The resident chef was back to her old self as she immersed herself in cooking and fluidly went from one part to another. For about a minute, he stood there and watcher her just cook and soon caught himself staring at HER. Just at that point, Shinobu turned to face him, making eye contact for a moment. She smiled, and turned back to her food, this time with a slight blush and a smile. Keitaro, feeling his face on fire, proceeded to walk up the stairs to do some work.  
  
A few hours passed as Keitaro immersed himself in archeology-related work. As Keitaro closed all his books with a sigh, a familiar presence landed on his head. "Myu," it said.  
  
"Tama, what brings you to my room?" he asked as he picked up the turtle off of his head.  
  
"Myu myu," Tama said as she pointed towards the dining room. Keitaro followed the fin's line of sight.  
  
"Oh, dinner's ready?" he asked. The resident turtle simply nodded as she freed herself and leisurely flew out and towards the dining room. Keitaro got up and followed suit, looking forward to another great meal as usual. As he approached the stairs, he noticed how dark the room underneath seemed. 'What's going on down there?' he wondered as he cautiously made his way down into the darkened room...  
  
TBC  
  
A/N - Not to fear folks! That's only one of two chapters done! This was first intended to be a one-chapter piece, but as I realized how much harder it became to write this, I had to stop this somewhere and finish it up. Besides, finals are coming up and I have to prepare for them.  
  
Anyways, R/R plz! 


	2. The dinner

Love Hina: Coming of Age Chapter 2 by Bug-chan  
  
A/N - First off, I would like to apologize for not doing anything over the summer vacation. I was too lazy to even type the finishing chapter for this piece of work. Anyways, on with the fic.  
  
WARNING: LIME ELEMENTS IN THIS CHAPTER  
  
Keitaro started walking downstairs towards the dining room, still wondering why the place was so dark. 'Maybe it's because no one else is around?' he pondered and just walked down the stairs thinking. He was shook out of his reverie by a "Myu!" from the resident turtle, who grabbed one of his sleeves and pointed towards the dining room. "Oops, got carried away by my own thoughts," Keitaro said to himself as he changed course. As he entered the dining room, however, all previous thoughts took the back seat as he tried to take in the sight before him.  
  
Before him wasn't a plain table with two bowls of rice and a number of dishes as per usual, but a variety of dishes topped with food of different scents, textures, colors and shapes, all emitting a unique aroma. Perched in the middle stood two lit candles, giving the dark room a cozy feeling. Even the individual areas were not left untouched; instead of a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks, a full set of a dish, a bowl, separate forks, a spoon and a chopstick sat, attracting Keitaro's hungry hands. Next to the forks was what took Keitaro by surprise: a lean, tall cup that he saw in movies filled with champagne, and a bottle of cold champagne next to one seat. After gawking at the setup, he looked around for the resident chef to only go back into gawking mode again.  
  
She stood behind one seat, but Keitaro could not tell whether it was Shinobu or not, for she had her head down. Instead of her usual one-piece dress or house clothes, she stood there wearing a red dress that went down to her ankles but had a slit that ran up to mid-thigh. The V-line, while not exposing her chest in indecent amounts, accentuated her developing figure, only making Keitaro gawk at her even more. After Keitaro apparently had enough of absorbing this new Shinobu, the said girl finally looked up, and his breath caught. While her timidity always kept her face panicked, a serene calm had descended on her features, giving her face a slight smile. It only looked more beautiful because of the presence of a light touch of make-up and the angle at which the candlelight hit her. To Keitaro, this wasn't a cute fifteen-year-old girl who had a severe case of timidity and low self-confidence, but a grown and self-confident woman whose beauty would drag the eyes of others like a magnet.  
  
"Good evening, Urashima-sempai," she greeted him softly from her side of the table. Keitaro shook his head out of his daze.  
  
"G---g---good evening, Shinobu-chan," he returned her greeting, suddenly having speech trouble in front of the said girl.  
  
"How do you like the room?" she asked, waving at everything.  
  
"It's a bit different from usual, but it really feels good," he replied truthfully. Upon sniffing the air, his stomach let out a growl of annoyance, to which the resident ronin immediately complied. Then, remembering a scene from a movie he saw a while back, he walked over to Shinobu's side and stood behind her chair. He grabbed it and pulled it out a bit. "Shall we eat?" he asked. Shinobu complied and let herself be sat as Keitaro pushed the chair in. He then walked over to his chair and then realized the bottle of champagne. 'Isn't she a bit underage to drink this?' he asked himself again.  
  
Shinobu noticed the way her crush was looking at the bottle. "Don't worry, Sempai. It's alcohol-free. Besides, I probably won't even look like an adult until I'm halfway in college," she said, ending the last bit with a hint of sadness and lowered her head.  
  
In one of his moments of insight, the said man's ears picked up on the sadness. "Don't say that!" Her head slowly looked up towards the man sitting across her. "True, you are only sixteen years old right now. But do you know what I see in front of my eyes now? I don't see a timid fifteen- year-old girl. I see a beautiful young woman looking back at me." Shinobu's eyes widened slightly upon hearing the last sentence. Anticipating another bout of crying, the resident ronin hurriedly said, "Now come on, let's taste your cuisine marvel before they all cool down," and picked up his fork. Shinobu looked at Keitaro sitting across from her and saw him devour a bit of everything on the table and couldn't help but smile.  
  
'Sempai...he can be so clumsy, yet deep inside, he's the most pure- hearted person I've ever met,' she thought as she grabbed a bit of her own food.  
  
Dinner passed by as the remaining occupants ate and shared small talk, including the occasional "Myu!" from the hot springs mascot. As minutes passed and dishes all became empty, both residents leaned on their seats, enjoying the full sensation. Soon, Tama took off towards somewhere else, leaving Keitaro and Shinobu alone, who just sat, enjoying the quite peace. A while later, music emanated from the living room next door. Keitaro, surprised to hear music, looked at the younger resident across him, who only gave him a smile that said "That's for me to know, and for you to find out." She then got out of her seat and approached him.  
  
"Urashima-sempai, can I have this dance?" As she asked the question and stuck her hand out, a blush slowly crept across her face, along with nagging thoughts of 'What if he refuses?'  
  
The said man only looked at her, baffled and surprised mingled into one. Then, as if an invisible force rested behind him, he raised one hand and put it into her outstretched hand. As she gently pulled her arm, he got up and followed her to the living room, which now also had two lit candles like the dining room. As the couple approached an empty area, Tama flew out, saying, "Myu myu myu!"  
  
"Thanks, Tama. I owe you one," Shinobu replied. As she placed her hands around Keitaro's neck, the said man just stood there. Worriedly, she looked at him. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Keitaro sheepishly looked back at her. "I can't dance," he whispered, embarrassment evident in his voice. Shinobu giggled softly.  
  
"While I have my arms around your neck," she said as she disengaged herself, "you place your arms around my waist," she finished as she grabbed her partner's arms and placed them around her waist. Those hands that she just placed seconds ago slipped lower to her posterior as Keitaro could do nothing but blush considerably.  
  
"Sorry," he whispered meekly as he brought those hands up quickly back to where she placed them. His partner simply giggled in response.  
  
"Then you interlock your hands around my back." Having said that, she placed her arms again back around his neck.  
  
"Ano...Shinobu-chan?" he asked, showing his discomfort due to his proximity to a member of the opposite sex, or a much younger member of the opposite sex for that matter. "Is this really all right to be this close?"  
  
"Don't worry too much. You'll enjoy it. Trust me," she said, radiating a confidence that has caught Keitaro off-guard...again. "Now, we just sway together in beat with the music," she said as the music slowly grew louder.  
  
Oh thinking about our younger years, it was only you and me, we were young and wild and free, Now nothing can take you away from me, we've been down that road before, but that's over now You keep me coming back for more  
  
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven  
  
As the dancing couple, Keitaro in particular, had become accustomed to dancing, his discomfort slowly dissipated. His dancing partner noticed his relaxation and in response tightened her grip around his neck. Surprised at her stronger grip, Keitaro looked down just to see his date for tonight look up at him and smile radiantly. Taken by the smile, the lone male resident responded in a similar fashion and dismissed any stray thoughts as the shine brightened what dark doubts he had.  
  
Oh once in your life you find someone Who'll turn your world around Bring you up while you're feeling down Yeah, nothing can change what you mean to me Oh there's lots that I can say Just hold me now Cuz our love will light the way  
  
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven  
  
Their thoughts, especially that of Shinobu, strayed. 'This is the first time I've been this close to Sempai,' she thought, then added, 'without any accidents.' She giggled lightly, thinking of all the moments Keitaro was launched into some direction every time something happened. Her partner noticed her giggling, and upon looking down, only got a smile as an answer to his silent question. Shrugging lightly, they continued dancing without much of a second thought.  
  
When the song ended, they separated from their embrace. Shinobu reluctantly let go of her partner as she felt a sudden coolness take over the warmth that he provided, subconsciously hugging herself as they split apart. Seconds later, a yawn took over both household members as they realized how tired they were from the food and the short dance.  
  
"Well, thank you for the great dinner tonight, Shinobu-chan," Keitaro thanked with his wide smile.  
  
"No, thank you for making tonight special, Sempai," the resident chef replied, blushing again, proceeding to pick up dishes to wash. Keitaro went to the other side and picked them up near his reach, eventually clearing the table. The duo brought them to the kitchen, washed them and dried them. They walked up the staircase together.  
  
"Well then, I'm hitting the sack. Good night, Shinobu-chan," he bade as he went his way down the hall, headed for his room.  
  
"Good night, Sempai," she said as she walked down the opposite way for her room. After a minute, she reached her room and entered, still all smiles. As she discarded her dress and put on her pajamas, her mind replayed all the events that happened over the course of dinner. As she stopped recalling the night, something else suddenly found its way into the memory projector.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"I hear that it's really easy to get a guy to love you!" exclaimed one girl in glee.  
  
"Oh yeah? How?" another one asked.  
  
"All you have to do is to go to bed with him," the first girl said.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
'Is that how I should present myself if I want him to fall in love with me?' she pondered as she took some toiletries and headed for the hot springs. Her mind was still reeling with one thought after another as she mechanically proceeded to strip herself, don a towel and walk into the springs, relaxing.  
  
'All I have to do is to go to bed with him...' she mentally trailed. 'But what's sleeping got to do with love?' As soon as she said that, another flashback from school struck in.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"There's something else about sex," one girl said, then burst into a fit of giggles with her friends.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"While it can be done anywhere, it should be best done on a bed."  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
Upon remembering the conversation and adding one and one, Shinobu's face went red. Suddenly, as she absentmindedly poured water on herself, a heat wave flushed over her. 'What's this sudden heat?' she wondered as it steadily climbed. As it grew hotter, her breath became ragged and her thought process slowed down. 'What's...happening to me?' she panicked. Finally, it was too hot for her to beat and she ran for the nearest shower head, turning on the water at its coldest. After momentarily drenching herself, coherent thought returned and her breath returned to normal. 'What was that all about?' she thought as she washed herself and dried up.  
  
The blue-eyed girl soon sat in front of her laptop and started surfing the net again. For the next half-hour, nothing but a regular interval of clicks echoed in her room as she sat through. The clicks stopped.  
  
On the screen was written "The Kama Sutra."  
  
A couple hours later, Keitaro had put away his books and donned his pajamas for sleep. He took out his futon, spread it and tucked himself into it, preparing to sleep. After sleep possessed him for about five minutes, his sleep-overloaded mind and ears registered a rustling sound from somewhere near him. Paying no heed, he promptly closed his eyes and tried to suppress his senses, while rolling to one side. A minute later, he felt a draft rushing through his back, followed by an unfamiliar warmth. Something then snaked around his chest from the back. Somewhat awake, he tried to wiggle out of it, but his sedate body wasn't helping.  
  
"Suu, please, I would like to go to sleep uninjured," he whispered as he looked towards his chest to see whether he could pry off her vice-like hands. As he looked down, his mind received a kick-start from the image. 'Wait a minute, her arms are light...I thought Suu was dark-skinned,' he thought. His eyes widened. 'Suu is at a field trip! Then that means these arms are,' he didn't finish his thought as he quickly turned around to see Shinobu's face.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, what are you dommmmph," he said before being interrupted by a fierce kiss. His eyes, now as big as saucers, took in her face in front of him, noticing great agitation written all over it. He didn't have enough time to process what he was seeing, for his binds were loosened, only to have one hand grab one of his hands and bring it to her chest. Upon contact with the forbidden part, Keitaro's nose leaked a thin stream of red. His hand finally broke out of her grip as his entire body came online. As he forcibly broke away from the kiss and grabbed the hand that was holding onto his, he noticed thin transparent streams flowing out of her eyes, which slowly opened.  
  
"Sempai," she called out.  
  
"Shinobu, what are you doing?" he asked, half-angry and half-shocked.  
  
"Sempai! Please, make love to me!" she exclaimed, her eyes pleading with the same level of intensity.  
  
"Make what?" he asked, now fully shocked.  
  
"Make love to me! I want to show you that I love you!" she answered, even more desperately. The ronin could do nothing but just stare back, absolutely confused.  
  
"But why?" he asked, a bit softly as to not scare the fragile girl.  
  
"Because I want my first time to be with someone I love!" was her pleading answer.  
  
Keitaro took it in and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. Her last plea clicked as he remembered the kinds of things he heard back at her age. His face exhibited surprise, which surprised the younger resident, and it transformed to a face of understanding. "I'm sorry, Shinobu-chan, I cannot do as you want," he answered softly. This broke what was left of Shinobu's heart into shatters as she desperately grabbed onto the resident manager and sobbed into his chest.  
  
"Why not? Why do you not love me?" she shouted between gasping sobs. Keitaro simply hugged her, waiting until she was done unloading her sorrow. When the sobs subsided somewhat, he gently pried her away from him and lifted her chin to make contact with her eyes.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, I do love you," he started, which made the said girl gasp, but he continued on, "But I love you, and everyone else here for that matter, too much to hurt you." Her head dipped again but went back up upon hearing his voice again. "Besides, I'd be taking advantage of your trust and you'll only be more hurt by it in the end. You should wait for your real love then," he finished, stroking her hair.  
  
"Thank you, Sempai, and I'm sorry," she whispered. Keitaro shook his head.  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry for. It's all a learning experience," he whispered back. "Just don't believe everything you hear," he stroked her hair, working wonders on the younger girl. A comfortable silence descended on the room for a moment.  
  
"Can I sleep here tonight?" she meekly asked. Her response came in a soft embrace, bringing her to his chest. She snuggled into it, enjoying the warmth emanating from her source of affection, as Keitaro placed his arms around her, finally being able to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Keitaro woke up to an empty feeling on his chest and realized that Shinobu woke up earlier and left. He slowly changed into different clothes and made his way downstairs to the table, his hungry stomach guiding him. Upon reaching the table, he saw Shinobu setting up a simple breakfast. She looked up and beamed. "Good morning, Sempai!"  
  
"Morning," he replied, giving a smile of his own as he sat in front of his meal. As he took bites out of his food, he glanced at Shinobu across from him every now and then. 'She seems a lot happier today, and definitely a lot less nervous. That's definitely a good thing,' he thought to himself, slightly smiling in the process. Breakfast went by with a comfortable silence and Keitaro took the plates to the kitchen as the other resident started wiping the table clean. At that moment, both heard a sound. "What's that?" he asked.  
  
Minutes later, they saw a few heads coming up the stairway. "Oh, everyone's back!" Shinobu exclaimed as the rest of the girls came into view.  
  
"We're back!" Naru yelled as everyone else followed her from behind. Suu jumped excitedly, waving around.  
  
"Welcome back!" Shinobu replied as she came outside. The group noticed someone missing.  
  
"Where's Keitaro?" Naru asked.  
  
"Doing dishes in the kitchen. Come on in, I'll get breakfast ready for you!" the resident chef said as she ran back into the inn. Everyone else looked blankly at the retreating form.  
  
"Did I just miss something?" Kitsune asked, confusion obvious in her voice.  
  
"She seems...happier," her best friend replied, and shrugged it off. "Oh well, let's go in. I missed her cooking." Everyone else followed her into the dining room just as Keitaro made his exit from the kitchen. "Hi, Keitaro, we're back!" Naru greeted the resident manager, who smiled back.  
  
"Welcome back, everyone," he greeted back in return as he joined the rest of the residents at the table, waiting for their meals. Kitsune then stuck her face closer to his from across the table as her eyes slanted in a cunning manner.  
  
"Say, you wouldn't know why Shinobu seems different, would you?" she asked, smirking. Keitaro's heart skipped a beat.  
  
"Uhh...nope," he replied, nervous and sweating. The rest of the girls looked at him carefully, and a few of those looks turned into glares. Keitaro's early warning system went off upon seeing glares from Naru and Motoko, whose hand clasped on her katana sitting nearby. "Uhh, I haven't finished my chores yet. I'll be back later. See you later girls!" he yelped as he made a mad dash out of the table.  
  
"Keitaro! What did you do to Shinobu-chan? Get back here!" Naru yelled as she got out of her seat and started pursuit. Motoko did the same.  
  
"Urashima! I thought you changed!" she yelled, running with her unsheathed katana. Suu saw them run off and decided to follow along.  
  
"Wait guys! What game are you playing?" she asked as she gleefully hopped after them. Kanako looked at the running group and instantly became shocked.  
  
"Wait! Don't hurt my brother!" she shouted as she started running. Kitsune just sat back and enjoyed the show as usual.  
  
Shinobu stuck her head out and saw Keitaro being chased by a very red Naru and Motoko, a gleeful Suu and an extremely worried Kanako. Instead of worry plastered all over her face, an amused grin adorned it as one thought came in her mind. 'My family,' she thought and went back into the kitchen with all smiles.  
  
END  
  
A/N - Yes folks, it's all finally over! After delaying it again and again, I've finally finished it! I apologize for my delays, I really do.  
  
Special thanks go to Chryswolf, Yuffie Valentine and whoever else I may have forgotten for pre-reading.  
  
I've timed the upload of this fic with my major upload of my webpage - check it out, the link's in my author profile.  
  
Once again, I apologize for the lateness and I hope you enjoyed reading my two-part fic. 


End file.
